


deceptive appearances

by skamz



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, miscommunication!!, there is a twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 17:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13506561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skamz/pseuds/skamz
Summary: Honestly—theverylast thing medical intern Isak needs during his shift is to be hit on by the father of this baby who's just about to be born.





	deceptive appearances

**Author's Note:**

> hi hiii. i posted this on tumblr a whiiile back, so you might've already seen it, but i remembered this little fic earlier today and thought "hey, why not post this here, too?" so, i edited it a little bit, and here you go, i guess! i hope you'll like it, if you haven't read it :)

Isak really likes babies, okay?

No but, honestly, he  _does_.

It’s just that—

He might like them just a little more when he’s not two weeks into his mandatory obstetrics internship, or when helping deliver hundreds (okay, maybe not  _exactly_ hundreds) of babies during his fourteen hour shifts doesn’t prevent him from getting the sleep his body longs for.

Isak rubs his eyes with the back of his hands, yawning.

He looks through the notes in the file. Twenty six year old woman. Due date was on the eighteenth, but her water broke this evening, meaning that she’s going to deliver thirty-eight weeks into her pregnancy, which is not too bad. Still, Isak would have preferred for her to deliver at least during her thirty-ninth week, for the baby to be full term, but according to the nurse’s notes, everything seems stable so far and—

Isak can’t help but have a good feeling about this one. Which, really, shouldn’t mean anything; it's not in any way an objective indicator of how things will turn out, and it won't stop him from remaining vigilant, like he always is, but—he’d rather have a good feeling than a bad one.

He sprays some sanitizer on his hands, and enters the patient’s room.

She’s lying on the bed, and the father is by her side, holding her hand. They’re smiling at each other, and it’s sweet—it’s almost always sweet, couples impatiently waiting for their baby to be born. Other times, it’s tensed and there are strong,  _loud_ emotions being expressed, and, well. Isak is simply glad that it doesn’t seem to be one of these times.

“How are you all doing?” 

They turn their heads toward him, and the mother furrows her brows a little. Her two hands are on her belly and she's looking at him like he's a complete stranger, which, actually, he is—maybe he should’ve started by introducing himself.

“I'm Isak Valtersen,” he says with a small smile. “I’m interning with Dr. Jensen.” 

The mother’s eyes seem to light up a little, her expression softening. “Oh, hi! I’m alright,” she replies. “Baby’s moving a lot.” She gently rubs her stomach, a faint smile on her lips. “We’re really excited to meet you as well, Laila.”

“That’s normal,” Isak reassures her, and it is, but he still goes to read the EKG strip just to be sure, and the baby’s heart activity is normal. Isak looks over to the parents, waits for his eyes to meet the mother’s, and then the father’s, before he says “Everything looks good.” 

“See,” the father tells the mother. “Everything's going to be alright.” 

Yeah, they’re definitely a sweet couple. Isak thinks he might’ve been right to have a good feeling about this.

“You should go for a little walk, now, it'll help with the positioning of the baby,” he tells them, and they both nod. 

The father helps her up, and Isak waits for them by the door. They walk for a few minutes in the hallway next to the room, stop at some point to get her a glass of water. Isak is glad to see that she seems to be in good shape, because it'll make the delivery easier on her.

When they’re back in the room, Isak insists on the fact that they should try to sleep a little.

“It doesn’t look like you’ll be delivering tonight, so try to get some rest—the both of you. If there’s anything at all, just press the button, okay?” 

The mother nods, but Isak can tell that she seems a little nervous. And the thing is that Isak might have helped deliver a lot of babies, but this woman is actually going to go through labor soon, is going to give birth, and become a parent for the rest of her life.

It’s a big deal for her. 

He lets out a quiet sigh, and approaches her bed. He squats down next to it, so his head is at the same level as hers. “I know this is a huge day for you,” he tells her quietly. “And there’s not a whole lot I can say to make this all,” he continues, briefly looking around the delivery room. “Seem less intimidating. But what I can tell you is that I’ve seen Dr. Jensen deliver a lot of babies, and he really takes his job to heart, and he’s really, really great at it. I can guarantee that he will be completely devoted to making sure the delivery goes well, okay?”

The mother swallows audibly, and then she slowly nods. Isak gives her a reassuring smile, before he stands back up.

“Once again,” he says to both future parents. “Don’t hesitate if you need anything at all.” 

Isak checks his pager when he’s outside the room and,  _great_ , he still has nine hours to go before his shift ends.

He really needs some fucking coffee.

Isak walks over to the small and empty waiting room at the end of the hallway, where there is a coffee and vending machine. Some sugar and caffeine—that’s exactly what he needs.  

He gets himself a chocolate bar, and a large coffee with milk, which he’d probably take big gulps of it if it wasn’t so hot still. He takes a large bite of chocolate, instead.

“I thought sweets were bad for you,” Isak hears, and he quickly turns his head. He sees the father of the baby standing there, and all he can do is stare at him dumbly as he swallows his bite. “As a doctor, you’re not exactly leading by example.”

Isak frowns. “I’m not a doctor yet,” he counters. “And chocolate in moderation is not bad for you.”

(Okay, _fine_ , Isak has a terrible diet, but it’s not like it’s any of this man’s business.)

He huffs out a laugh. “I’m Even,” he says, holding out his hand. Isak is about to tell his name as well, but remembers that he’s already introduced himself.  

He shakes his hand, brief and firm. 

Isak sees that he doesn’t order coffee, only a small cup of hot chocolate, which is a good thing, he tells himself, because he meant it when he said that they should get some rest. They won’t get much of it once the baby is there.

“So, you’re going to be an obstetrician like Dr. Jensen?” 

Isak purses his lips. He's aware that he’s supposed to maintain a certain distance with patients and their loved ones, and not share too much about himself.

“I’m not sure,” he simply says. 

Even offers him a small smile. “You’d be good at it, I think,” he says. “You have a nice aura, like you truly believe this is all going to go well. It’s reassuring.”

And, at that, Isak is a little speechless.

“Thanks,” he blurts out. 

“You’re welcome.” 

This man has really gorgeous blue eyes, and a really, really nice face and—

So does the mother. Isak honestly only paid attention to the guy's appearance just now because it means that there’s a high chance that the baby will be good looking, since both the parents are, which is just totally relevant to his work. He was just making a valid observation, honestly. 

He takes a large sip of his coffee, and it burns his tongue a little. 

“Alright, I need to go check on a patient now,” he says, which might not sound like a credible excuse to leave, considering that he still has his half eaten chocolate bar in one hand, and his cup of coffee in the other, but whatever. 

He’s about to leave, but the baby’s father quickly places himself in front of him, blocking the way.

“Hey,” he says. 

Isak crooks his eyebrow, silently asking him what he wants.

“Are you going to be working tomorrow?” 

“Hm, yeah? why?” 

“I was..." He starts, inching closer to Isak. "Really hoping to see you again.”

Isak’s eyes go a little wide. “What?”

What is this guy  _saying_. Surely, he's not—

“You seem really great,” he scratches the back of his neck, like he’s getting fucking  _shy_. “And cute.” 

What the  _fuck_.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Isak has to stop himself from shouting the words. His heart is racing, and he almost feels nauseous. How _dare_ he hit on him when his baby is about to be born, when the mother of his baby is waiting somewhere on this floor, when she needs his support the most?

“What?” he dares to ask, and he actually—he actually looks confused. Is this guy fucking serious? How on earth did he expect Isak to react? 

“Listen,” Isak says firmly. “There are hospital policies and rules of professional conduct that prevent me from telling you what’s on my mind right now, but do not  _ever_  talk to me again unless it has to do with the mother or the baby.” It's a god damn miracle he manages to get the words out so clearly; his hands won't stop trembling.

Isak is  _fuming_  and he takes deep breaths to calm himself down as he walks away.

What a  _scumbag._

***

Isak needs to go check up on  _that_ patient again, and on the list of things he doesn't feel like doing right now, that one's at the very top. He can’t believe he has to see that asshole again, and act professional, and not  _say_ anything, not only because that would be absolutely unprofessional, but mostly because it would cause the mother stress. 

He takes a deep breath before he enters the room, trying to ground himself. This isn't about him. "You can do this," he tells himself.

When he enters the room, the mother is awake and alone.

“Everything okay?” he asks, before he checks the EKG again. 

“It just hurts,” she says, her hand on her stomach, and Isak can't help but feel for her.

And although he knows that this is not of his business, that these are  _patients_ , he can’t help be think that they deserve better than that awful guy. 

“Where’s the father?” he asks, his jaw slightly clenched despite himself. 

“I’m afraid he’s not going to make it on time,” she says, and she sounds so upset, and  _fuck_ , Isak shouldn’t have asked. “He took the first flight available when I told him my water broke, and he feels terrible, but—" Her voice is cracking. "But the baby was only due in two weeks and he was supposed to be back on Friday anyway, but I just wish he was there, you know? I just don’t want to do this without him.” 

And Isak is so confused right now. So, so confused, and there are questions he wants to ask, mainly _W_ _hat? How?_ and _S_ _o this means that Even is not the father?_  But he also sees that the mother is getting clearly worked up, and that’s the only thing he needs to focus on right now.

“I want you to take deep breaths with me,” he says, approaching her, and then he starts taking deep and steady breaths. The mother simply looks at him at first, but then she starts imitating him and good,  _good_ , Isak can tell that she’s starting to relax.

But then Even is coming back to the room, glass of water in hand, and now Isak is the one who feels like he can’t quite relax. He tenses up slightly, his chest a little tight. He remembers the way he had spoken to Even, and feels both terrible and like an idiot.

Even goes to sit next to her bed.

“Mutta’s not answering, so he must be on the plane right now, and he’s heading straight to the hospital as soon as he lands. I’m sure he’ll make it on time, I have a really good feeling about this, okay?”

His smile is warm and reassuring as he hands her the glass of water.

 _Damn it_.

***

The  _actual_  father does make it to the hospital on time for the delivery, and when he gets there, he’s panting and then kissing the mother’s head and her belly.

He's then giving Even a tight hug, and Isak can only stare as he hears him say “Thank you for staying with her, man” and Even reply “I wouldn’t be the best future godfather in the world if i hadn’t.”

Isak swallows hard.

***

The delivery goes well, and the baby weighs a healthy 3.5 kilograms. The mother seems tired, which is to be expected, but she’s mostly glowing. Isak is glad, he is, but he can't shake off that feeling of regret sitting heavy in his stomach.  

Thankfully, his shift ends in just half an hour when he leaves the room. He lets out a yawn and already fantasizes about being back in his bed, so he can finally get some sleep and then start a new day and just forget about the past twelve hours.

Isak shouldn’t be looking down when he walks, really, especially not here, because there’s a chance he might bump into someone, which is _exactly_ what happens just now as he makes his way toward the staff room. 

“Oh god, sorry—”

Isak looks up and it’s  _him_.

Even.

“Sorry,” Isak repeats.

Even seems to be biting the inside of his cheek, and Isak wants to meet his eyes, but he’s looking away.

“About yesterday…” he begins, but Even shakes his head. 

“I shouldn’t have hit on you, it was inappropriate. It was just late, I guess, and you seemed so—” he stops, sighing. “Great. But I shouldn’t have put you in that position, especially while you were working.”

Isak’s heart starts beating a little faster.

“I thought you were the father,” he quickly mumbles. 

“What?”

“I thought you were the father,” he repeats, more clearly this time. "That's why I got...mad."

Even’s mouth hangs slightly open as he frowns. “ _What?”_ he asks again. “I mean,  _why?”_

And okay, perhaps Isak had presumed wrong but, honestly, you can't exactly blame him—what was he supposed to think?

“I don’t know! I mean—” he looks up, and his eyes meet Even’s this time. “Usually when there’s just one guy by the mother’s side, it’s the baby’s father and, okay, it’s  _obviously_ not always the case but it’s not like you _said_ anything, either.” 

Isak stops, because Even is now quietly laughing and he  _really_ has the most gorgeous eyes and—

Oh, fuck it, he’s allowed to think so, now.

Even lets out a peaceful sigh. “I just thought you knew,” he says. “No one told you?”

Isak shakes his head. “They keep me updated on patients, not their visitors.”

Even offers him a small smile, nodding. “Fair enough.”

They stand there in silence, and Isak toys with the pen inside the pocket of his white coat.

“So…”

“Hm.”

Even steps closer to him. “Would it be fine if I asked you for your number, now?”

“No,” Isak replies.

“No?”

“I can’t be giving out my phone number when I’m still on duty.”

Even huffs out a laugh, and Isak might melt a little when it reaches his ears. “What about when you’re off duty?”

Isak shrugs one shoulder, a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “I suppose I could give it to you, then.”

Even raises an eyebrow. “And when would that be?”

Isak takes a quick look at the time on his pager. “In exactly nineteen minutes.”

Another small laugh escapes him. “Perfect.”

***

Even is waiting by the door when Isak leaves the hospital. 

“Hey,” he greets.

“Hey.”

It’s cold outside, but Even’s nose and cheeks are adorably pink, and there’s this glint in his eyes, and Isak feels warmth spread through him.

“This is my number,” Isak says, handing him a folded piece of paper on which he wrote his phone number.

“Thank you,” Even replies softly. “God, it’s really cold today, how are you not wearing a scarf?”

Before Isak can say anything, tell him that he simply forgot it yesterday, Even is unwrapping the scarf around his own neck, and then he’s stepping forward and he actually—

He wraps his scarf around Isak’s neck, making sure it covers him properly, and it’s soft and it  _smells like him,_ not that Isak really knew what even smelled like, but he’s breathing in and  _now_  he knows and, okay, Isak is suddenly a little weak at the knees.

“I’ll text you my number soon, okay?”

Isak quickly nods. “Sure.”

And then Even leans in, pecks his cheek.

Isak doesn’t quite forget the way his lips had felt against his skin as he heads back to his place.

***

It becomes a thing, them meeting up when their schedules allow it. Even works for a film production company, and his schedule is mostly irregular, and he'll sometimes be out of the city for a couple of days. Still, they manage to make it work, texting and calling and face timing each other. And it only makes it that much more enjoyable, when they do get to see each other.

They'll mostly go to each other’s places, enjoy each other's company and have late diners and watch television (which mostly ends with them making out halfway through whatever show or movie they're watching) and fall asleep in the same bed.

Even is funny and smart and he has a heart of gold and with him Isak is—

He’s the happiest he’s been in a long time.

It’s one in the morning on a Friday night, and they’ve just had pretty mind blowing sex, and Isak is still working on getting used to it—that intense release of oxytocin and endorphins, that closeness. 

It feels incredible.

Even has an arm wrapped around him, and the pressure of his body against his is just _right_. Warm and comfortable and increasingly familiar. 

Isak can feel him breathe against the crook of his neck.

“You know," Even whispers, lips moving against his skin. "I sleep so much better when I’m with you."

Isak places his hand over Even’s, gives it a gentle squeeze.

“I do, too.”

***

Mutta and Liv invite them over for dinner on a Saturday, and Liv seems actually thrilled to see Isak when he steps into their apartment. She has this grin on her face before she pulls him into a hug, tells him “It’s so lovely to see you again!”

Even’s attention is mainly on Laila the whole time, and he spends most of the evening holding her, making happy faces at her, humming songs and telling her over and over again how wonderful she is.

Isak looks at them, endeared.

He really likes babies.

No but, honestly, he does.

And when they’re held in the arms of the most amazing godfather, who also happens to be the most amazing boyfriend, he might even like them just a little more.

**Author's Note:**

> so that was that! haha. i hope you liked it, and i hope you all had the nicest weekend so far, and that sunday has been a good day 
> 
> you can find me on tumblr [here](http://skamz.tumblr.com) :)


End file.
